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Installing Operating System

Obtaining Image

Note

Image Naming Specification: update-a133-kickpi-k5c-android10-mipi-10-800-1280-v1-2026010818.img
update: Indicates a complete image package.
a133-kickpi-k5c: Main control chip model A133, hardware board type Kickpi-K5C.
android10: Android operating system for the file system.
mipi-10-800-1280: 10-inch LVDS display with a resolution of 800*1280.
2026010818.img: Image release date (timestamp).

Obtain Kickpi K5C image files from OneDrive.

├── 2-Image
│   ├── K5C
│   │   ├── Android10.0
│   │      ├── update-a133-kickpi-k5c-android10-mipi-10-800-1280-v2-2026010818.img
│   │   └── Ubuntu1604

SD Card Installation

K5C has a SD card slot ( microSD aka. TransFlash or TF ) which can also serves as a bootable device. In K5C's boot sequence, SD card has higher priority, so K5C always try to boot from SD card first, when no one mounted, K5C then boot from on-board eMMC . Since SoC vendor's official Tools use terminology SD(microSD) instead of TF, so we use SD card in this context, TF and SD means the same thing.

With SoC vendor's tool, we can make 2 types of booting card. SD Boot Card works like a portable edition OS, e.g. windows PE. We use SD Boot Card to power device for some maintain and fix purpose. also can be used to verify your own customization. the second type is SD installation card. you create this kind of booting card when you try to use it to install new Image into on-board eMMC . it contains a specific script to create partition, format FS, copy files to eMMC . Make sure you understand what you need and create the right SD card.

Preparation

Note

Supported SD card filesystem formats: exfat, NTFS
SD Boot Card (SD Boot): Contains bootloader and complete system image, supports device booting directly from microSD card, used in scenarios like eMMC, dev debugging.
SD Installation Card (Upgrade Firmware): Stores firmware image and installation script, used to install or upgrade firmware to the device's on-board storage (e.g., eMMC).

  • Hardware: Windows PC/laptop, USB TYPE-C cable(some cheap TYPE-C cable only provide current, make sure use the one capable of data exchange). some users reported when using double male TYPE-C to TYPE-C cable, installation failed sometimes, when switch to double male USB TYPE-A to TYPE-C, it's ok.

  • Software: Installing tool PhoenixCard, image.

SD Boot Card

1. Navigate to the PhoenixCard extracted folder and launch PhoenixCard.

image-20260127110048175

2. Follow the steps shown in the diagram to flash the downloaded image onto the SD card.

Note

During the operation, if PhoenixCard prompts to format the SD card, confirm the formatting.
The display must be used with the corresponding image. If you have equipped K5C with a 10-inch MIPI/LVDS display, please select the image named update-a113-kickpi-k5c-***-EMMC-mipi-10-800-1280-v2-202*.img.

image-20260205114134830

3. The SD boot card is created successfully.

image-20260205114913367

4. Power off the board, insert the SD Boot Card into the TF card slot on the board, reconnect the power supply, wait patiently and check if it boots into the desktop normally.

Success

The green LED remains lit, and the blue LED blinks continuously (the blue LED will not light up immediately, please wait patiently).

SD Installation Card

1. Navigate to the PhoenixCard extracted folder and launch PhoenixCard.

image-20260127110048175

2. Follow the steps shown in the diagram to flash the downloaded image onto the SD card.

Note

During the operation, if PhoenixCard prompts to format the SD card, confirm the formatting.

image-20260205114032370

3. The SD installation card is created successfully.

image-20260205135735913

4.Power off the board, insert the SD Installation Card into the TF card slot on the board, and power it on again.

Success

A progress bar will be displayed on the monitor during installation. When the installation is complete, the green LED and blue LED will turn off simultaneously. Power off the motherboard, remove the SD card, power the motherboard on again, and wait for the system to restart and boot into the desktop.

USB Installation

Preparation

Steps

1. Connect the computer using a USB A-to-C flashing cable. The board enters the Installation Mode,the green LED stays on.

Note

Installation Mode:
When the motherboard is powered on, connect it to a Windows computer, press and hold the FEL button (do not release it), then press the RST button briefly. Once the flashing tool detects the device, release the FEL button.

image-20260205142846253

2. Install driver, connect the computer via a USB A - to - C cable, open the computer's Device Manager, and follow the operations shown in the diagram.

Tip

Driver folder path: PhoenixSuit/Drivers/AW_Driver/

3. Open PhoenixSuit from the extracted folder in Administrator mode.

4. In the installing software, click "firmware" to select the image to be install (do not click "Upgrade").

5. Re-enter the installing mode on the development board, connect the USB, and when the software displays the screen as shown below, click "Yes" to start installing. Simply wait for the installing to complete successfully.

Note

Installation Mode:
When the motherboard is powered on, connect it to a Windows computer, press and hold the FEL button (do not release it), then press the RST button briefly. Once the flashing tool detects the device, release the FEL button.

6. Once the image is installed successfully, the board will restart automatically.

Success

The green LED is steady on, and the blue LED is flashing continuously. (Note: The blue LED will not light up immediately; please wait patiently.)

Q&A

  • Image Boot Priority？

Boot code chooses external SD card as first booting device. onboard eMMC as the second one.